From Teresa Plowright,
Your Guide to Family Vacations.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

With four huge theme parks plus two water parks, Disney World vacations can get complicated! For starters, what type of pass should you buy?

Disney World vacations: "Magic Your Way" tickets

"Magic Your Way" is the current way to buy passes at Disney World, and is structured as a base ticket plus options. Key point to note is that the price per day drops as your number of days increases.

Magic Your Way Base Ticket
With the base ticket, guests can visit one theme park per day. (Note to first-timers: you'll definitely find plenty to keep your family busy for a whole day, in a single theme park!)

Example of how the price-per-day shrinks the longer you play: daily price might be $67* for a 1-day ticket, $30/day for a 7-day ticket.

Keep in mind: your tix must be used within 14 days! Park Hopper Option
The Park Hopper option lets you come and go through multiple theme parks on any and all days, for the length of your ticket. Cost is a flat $45* per ticket, regardless of number of days.

Magic Plus Pack Option
This option adds visits to other WDW attractions: choose from the two Water Parks, DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park, and more. Cost is $50* per ticket and the number of "plus" admissions varies from 2 to 5 depending on the length of the ticket.

No Expiration Option
The Magic Your Way Base Tickets expire 14 days from first use. When you add the No Expiration Option, you can come back for unused days at any time in the future. Cost varies with the length of your ticket: for ex., $10 for a 2-day ticket, $55 for a 7-day ticket.

Magic Your Way Package plus Dining Option
Available only to guests staying at least one night at a Disney World Resort. With this Option, each family member gets a combination of meals and snack at a choice of more than 100 restaurants in Walt Disney World parks and hotels. See details, below. This Option has generally been considered a good deal.

Magic Your Way Premium Package
Likewise available onto to guests at a Disney World Resort, this is a deluxe package with breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus options such as theme park tours or admission to a Cirque du Soleil show.

Mickey's hoping you'll take a longer vacation, because "the longer you play, the less you pay per day."

Walt Disney World is a vast destination: staying a week would allow one day for each of the four theme parks, one day at one of the two waterparks, one day to return to your favorite park, one day to relax and enjoy your resort.

Magic Your Way Package plus Dining Option: details
As noted above, with the Dining Plan, each member of your family gets two meals and a snack, at a choice of over 100 restaurants in the Walt Disney World parks and hotels.

Remember: you must be staying at a Disney World Resort, to buy this option. Resorts come in Value, Moderate, and Luxury categories; all offer a fun experience and come with a number of special perks for guests, such as Extra Magic Hours (early/late park hours only for resort guests.)

With the Dining Option:

• families have a more inclusive-priced vacation: pay in advance, worry less about spending while on the spot
• the dining plan must be purchased for all guests in the party (age 3 and up) for the total number of nights at the resort

A table service meal typically has an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage, or a full buffet plus non-alcoholic beverage. A counter-service meal might offer an entrée and a side dish, or a combo meal, plus dessert and non-alcoholic beverage; A snack might be a frozen ice-cream novelty, or a popcorn scoop, or a large beverage.

Meal coupons can be used in any way: a guest could use 3 snack coupons in one day. Also, two table service meals can be exchanged for a signature meal such as the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue dinner show.

For more info, see at www.disneyworld.com, or contact 407/W-DISNEY or a travel agent.

• See tips about Visiting Walt Disney World

*always check for price updates! Either at the Disney World site or wherever you're purchasing.